THE
SECRETARY-GENERAL
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MESSAGE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR DISASTER REDUCTION
“ Disaster reduction for sustainable mountain development”
9 October 2002

The theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction – “disaster
reduction for sustainable mountain development” -- is related
to another United Nations observance: the International Year of
Mountains (2002). There is a natural link between the two.

No community is immune from the threat of natural disasters, but
mountain communities are particularly vulnerable. They are exposed
to extreme climate events such as high rain and snowfalls, and
the landslides and avalanches that result. Poverty has forced people
to build homes on hazard-prone slopes, and demographic pressures
have pushed them to settle at the feet of volcanoes and in other
seismically active areas. Poor land-use planning, environmental
mismanagement, the lack of regulatory mechanisms and other human
activities increase the risk that a disaster will occur, and worsen
their effects when they do.

Any community
is at risk of natural hazards. But with people in harm’s
way as never before, we can and must do better in responding
to this challenge. Early warning and
risk reduction
measures are helping to reduce significantly the number of people
who lose their lives to disasters. New planning and forecasting
tools are helping to mitigate the devastation wrought regularly
by floods.

Sustainable
development in mountain communities and elsewhere requires more
up-front and “upstream” investments
in these and other measures. In implementing the International
Strategy
for Disaster Reduction, in building a world of resilient communities
and nations, prevention must be our priority.